The Happy Fits at The Foundry

The Happy Fits played the Foundry this past Saturday night, May 18, 2019. If you don’t know The Happy Fits already, you should waste no time and listen to them right away. This three piece from North Jersey has a great vibe that’s perfect for your summer days. Despite being a fairly unknown indie rock band these guys have some serious hooks in their songs. Listen to ‘Dirty Imbecile’ one time and it’ll be on loop for days.

The night started out with Kid Brother, a rather large group for the small stage at the Foundry, but they managed to squeeze in tightly and play some really good music. This Northern Virginia based group was supporting their debut album titled ‘Baltimore Street Rat’. Opening up with ‘Spilt Salt’ they ran through six tracks during their abbreviated set. Lead singer Christian Neonakis and keyboardist Lindsey Cook sounded spot-on with vocals on songs like ‘Pastels’ and ‘Meredith’. Bassist Richard Smith had great energy which the crowd responded well to and it was clear these guys really enjoyed playing for the fans at the Foundry. The band is heading back into the studio in June and is expecting to release new material this fall. These guys are worth catching the next time they hit Philly and we will be sure to cover that show.

The Shoobies hit the stage with energetic enthusiasm. Guitarist and lead singer Casey Marley brought a palpable energy to the stage that the crowd couldn’t help but mimic. From the opening number, ‘Love’, he was dancing and jumping around the small stage in his bare feet. Marley and bassist Dylan Bailey definitely had the attention of the females in the crowd. With the curly hair flopping off his face and his tattoos, it is easy to draw comparisons between Marley and Matt Healy of The 1975. Helping the band out was guitarist Brandon Cruz of the band Skyline. You would never know Cruz wasn’t a full-time member as he blended very well with the band and their stage presence. The Shoobies really resonated with the audience. The band has a new single coming out in July and plan on a new album in early 2020.

Before The Happy Fits even got set up the crowd was already worked into a frenzy. Just the sight of Ross Monteith and Calvin Langman setting up on stage had women in The Foundry going crazy. Langman handled it well, just flashing his big smile at the ladies. Opening with ‘Achy Bones’ they immediately got the crowd singing along and dancing to their unique vibe. Where else can you see a singer jump around while strapped to a cello? These guys stand-out from the proverbial crowd and the fans eat it up. Splitting the vocal duties is guitarist Monteith, who despite looking like he’s still in high school, is clearly a seasoned musician. The Happy Fits know how to handle the stage. Despite cramming twelve songs into their set they never missed a beat. The crowd worked just as hard, singing along to every word and whipping themselves into a dancing frenzy. They even had some of the guys from the Shoobies down in front, dancing along with the audience. It was clear these acts have been touring together and really get enjoy each others’ music.

Following the Happy Fits set, Langman made a point of asking everyone to hang around so they could meet before they left the venue. All three bands took the time to take photos and talk with the fans after the show, giving them memories to last a lifetime. Clearly, one of the added benefits to seeing bands in such an intimate venue is having this backstage type experience without needing to be a VIP.